Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1887-01-24
The Missing Receipt.

the table in my office-I was q doc
tor-the sum of one thousand dollars.
l rejoiced in every coin, in every
crumpIed bank note, in every bit of
| silver-not with a miser's greed, but
with the satisfaction with which one
achieves an object. [ was anxious
to be rid of it, too, for by working
and saving and anxiety about money,
foreign to my nature, [ had been
able to pay off the mortgage on my
fathers old homestead.
1t had been left to me mort9 aged
down to its full value. This was my
last payment. With this old place
all my own,I could WOO and win Rose
Baldwin, whom l loved dearly and
here and now [ began life anew. The
money was to be paid at the office of
the two brothers Grace-miserly old
twin brothers, whom | never knew
apart, and who had the reputation
vi OClAS daiA e1uo StooptASs winch
they merited. Only one of them was
in the office when | entered he was
talking with lady, and simply nod
ded to me as [ sat down. l fancied
that he looked disappointed, for my
failure to bring this money would
| have thrown valuable bit of prop
erty into the hands of the firm. The
Grace Brothers held the mortgage
themselves, and as [ waited for him
| turned the leaves of book that lay
on the table near me. 1t proved to
be a small Bible, with book-marker
in it, kept there, perhaps to offer to
people who were called upon to take
an oath in regard to any matter; per-
| haps for pious reasons and the pri-
vate readings of the brothers.
At all events, l glanced down the
| columns, finding new beauties there,
as one always must, until Mr.. Grace
bowed the old lady out and came to
me. He took my money, lamented,
as was his usual way, the hard times
and the failure of business men, and
finally gave me my receipt.
! Then, as I was about to 60, he
| suddenly called out, ''wait, left
me, and returned shortly with the
prospectus of new company, in
| which desirable investment could
| be made, he said. The matter did
not interest me much. ] had no de-
sire for speculation. To put my lit
| tie doctors sign on the door of my
house-marry the woman / loved.
and strive to make money and fame
in my profession. was my ambition.
| wanted the money to spend-not
to save-to be happy with. 1t was
simple. harmless greed; not mis-
er's
left the office happy. The next
mornings paper brought me unex-
pected news. Mr.. Richard Grace
had been found dead in his chair in
the office on the previous afternoon.
| | had never known the brothers
apart, as / have said-and l asked
myself if the man / had spoken to,
could have been so near death with
out giving any token of it to ply
sician? | felt in my pocket for re-
ceipt. II was not there. 1t is never
a pleasant thing to lose an important
paper.
/ knew the Grace Brothers to he
far from worthy men. | had paid
/ the money without witnesses. My
receipt was all / had TO depend on.
| The only consolation | had was that
the loss was not known by any one
| but myself; and [ waited for certain
legal papers which were to be sent to
me when drawn out. They did not
come. | appreciated the fact that
with sharp business man one can
not be too particular, when notice
was served on me, to the effect that
legal proceedings would be taken, if
| the money-one thousand dollars
was not paid at once. / FASTENED to
| the office of the Grace Brothers. A
painter was at work altering the gold
| letters on the window pane, so that
| they should read ''Robln Grace &
| Co."
Robin Grace sat in his chair at his
desk. | fancied him the same per-
son [ had spoken to few days be-
| fore. | placed the legal paper be-
fore him.
This has been sent to me by mis-
take said.
He looked at it.
No mistake he said.
4 paid the money! said
Then you have the papers to
show" he replied.
"A receipt" / SAID. The other
papers were to be sent to me-by
your late brother. l presume"
II had been a sort of joke that !
did not know them apart. l did not
like to repeat it under the present
circumstances.
"Unbusinesslike." he said ..but
the sudden death of my poor brother
has upset US. The receipt is suffi-
cient, of course He made no rec
ord of the payment. Perhaps he had
not time permitted him. You Nave
the receipt
| had searched madly for it all the
morning. was Obliged to tell him
the truth.
~ have Fui.Iafl r.s o..n., - -